Who Was Mama Cax? Google Doodle Honors Black History Month

On 8 February 2023, in honor of Black History Month, Google released a Google Doodle on Wednesday highlighting a number of significant aspects of Mama Cax’s life, including the audacious display of her prosthetic leg while modeling.

Mama Cax was an American-Haitian model and disabled rights activist and with her prosthetic right leg, Cax was an unconventional figure in modern fashion modeling.

In 1926, American historian Carter G Woodson proposed the first commemoration of Black History Month and established what was then called Negro History Week to promote the study of black history in schools. 

Before 1976, President Gerald Ford formally acknowledged Black History Month the celebration gradually grew to last an entire month and spread throughout the world.

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Mama Cax: Biography

Who was  Mama Cax? 

Born on November 20, 1989, Cacsmy Brutus known as Mama Cax, was an American-Haitian model and disabled rights activist. She was an unconventional figure in modern fashion modeling.

Mama Cax: Early life

• Cacsmy Brutus popularly known as Mama Cax was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 20, 1989.
• Grew up in Haiti, was a model and activist, and at age 14 was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and lung cancer when the doctors gave her three weeks to live but she survived.
• After Two years she had to go through a hip replacement which unfortunately failed, leading to the amputation of her right leg.
• The model expressed that it took several years to regain her confidence and that she hid her prosthetic leg for several years.
• Mama Cax earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in International Relations.
• At age 18, Cax learned to play wheelchair basketball.

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Today’s #GoogleDoodle celebrates Haitian American model, activist and disability rights advocate, Mama Cax. On this day in 2019, Mama Cax made her debut on a runway at New York Fashion Week. She died aged 30 from medical complications 🕊

(November 20, 1989 - December 16, 2019) pic.twitter.com/xeZBJuUxI3

— Dionne Grant (@DionneGrant) February 8, 2023

Mama Cax: Career

• On September 15, 2016, Cax was invited to the White House to participate in a fashion show which was organized by  Barack and Michelle Obama. 
• In 2017, Cax appeared in her first commercial advertisement.
• Later in the same year, she signed with the modeling agency JAG Models in New York.
• Her later commercial work included ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora.
• She walked at New York Fashion Week in 2018.
• That year, she also made the cover of Teen Vogue with Jillian Mercado and Chelsea Werner.
• In 2019, Cax became the face of the Olay brand for their sunscreen marketing campaign.
•  In October 2019, Cax announced she would be participating in the New York Marathon in a wheelchair.

Mama Cax: Death and legacy

• In 2019, in England in December Cax was admitted to the Royal London Hospital for severe abdominal pains and blood clots in the lung.

• The activist and model died in the hospital on December 16, 2019.
• She was featured as a Google Doodle on 8 February 2023. 
•  The day was chosen to celebrate her first appearance at the New York Fashion Week in 2019. 
• The artwork was by the artist Lyne Lucien.

Mama Cax: Google Doodle 

Mama Cax, modelo e ativista, é destaque no Google https://t.co/moVeJEpiLX pic.twitter.com/iJ27eBM0Yt

— Google Discovery (@GoogleDiscovery) February 8, 2023

Today’s vibrant Doodle artwork by the artist Lyne Lucien is a reflection of her bright life which highlights the many facets of her identity including her Haitian heritage, her NYC hometown, and her fashion career with her prosthetic incorporated into the look. Cax was an influential model and cancer survivor who advocated for the rights of people with disabilities and in recognition of Black History Month, today's Google Doodle pays tribute to the Haitian American model.  The illustration showcases Mama Cax who was renowned for challenging conventional beauty standards.

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